"I love you."
"Yes, I love you too."
"I love you more."
"No, I love you more."
They exchanged words and burst into laughter. As Beramund leaned down to start kissing her, Sigrid thought that tonight's late-night snack would beco tomorrow's breakfast. As his lips gently sucked on Sigrid's neck, her body imdiately began to react, anticipating the familiar pleasure, and she exhaled with a shiver.
'If not five, then at least four children.'
Making that decision inwardly, Sigrid clung to Beramund as he embraced her.
She fulfilled that decision three years later.
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
To speak of Silver Knight Sigrid Ankertna, who worked alongside Archmage Arkana and Black Knight Beramund, one book would not be enough. It's already well-known that she is the founder of the Ankertna family, a martial arts clan that has produced Masters for generations. At the sa ti, the Ankertna family also produced excellent magicians.
She married the Black Knight, who was her fellow Imperial Guard, and it's said that their relationship was too good to be rely for political reasons. The number of children they had speaks to this.
Historically, she's quite an interesting figure. It's noteworthy that despite being a commoner knight, she was surrounded by prominent figures in the social circles of the ti.
Marie-Chez Inglet, who was called the queen of social circles at the ti, and Lowengrin Alsekidna, widely known as the author of "The Will for Freedom" among her various written works, are pri examples. It seems she was quite a remarkable figure as a female Master during a ti when won's activities were finally erging.......
— Excerpt from "The Ergence of the Ankertna Family"
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
"I never thought I'd end up cooperating with you......"
Beramund muttered with an exhausted face. Although his expression wasn't clearly visible in the dark room, fatigue was evident in his voice.
"The feeling is mutual."
A calm reply ca back, and Beramund looked at his counterpart.
His eyes fell on the red hair, said to be stained with the blood of those he had killed. The archmage whom everyone whispered was a demon.
"I never thought I'd join hands with a fallen black knight."
Beramund laughed at Arkana's words. Or rather, he tried to laugh, but couldn't quite manage it. He couldn't even rember the last ti he had laughed.
After Erial died, Serios died, Rudinal committed suicide—
In the ensuing purge, the Lunatil ducal family kept their heads down, and the family exiled him, who had been Serios's confidant. Just when he thought everything was over, having beco a wanted man of the empire, help ca from an unexpected place.
The magician right in front of him.
"I didn't think you'd actually believe my words."
"When you said sothing as foolish as turning back ti, it beca believable."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. I just don't understand why you want to turn it back. As you can see, I've lost everything and am empty-handed, but what reason does the esteed Archmage, who holds everything, have?"
"Because no matter how many I kill, it only brings more pain."
"That's sothing only soone who's ascended the throne of revenge could say."
Arkana let out a light laugh at those words.
"Is that so?"
"Isn't it?"
"Perhaps you're right."
Arkana replied and lowered his eyes.
Killing didn't make anything better.
He lost his parents to the nobles, and he gave up on revenge to protect his younger sister, but he lost his sister to the nobles as well.
What emotion could describe how he felt when his missing sister's mangled body was found in the sewers?
The word "hatred" was far too light. Even after revenge was complete, nothing got better. So he thought of reclaiming what was lost.
Beramund asked, "So, how are you going to turn back ti?"
"With magic. But my magical power alone isn't enough. That's why I obtained a sword jewel, but one isn't enough."
As Beramund raised an eyebrow, Arkana pulled out a beautiful rhombus-shaped jewel that glowed crimson from his sleeve. Beramund let out a groan.
"Sigrid......"
"Do you know her? Well, I suppose it's not strange for Masters to know each other."
Arkana placed the core on the table. It sparkled, emitting a faint light. The swirling currents inside were visible one mont and gone the next.
"It's difficult to find an Aura Core with such high purity."
"Is that why you killed her?"
At Beramund's question, Arkana tilted his head and continued.
"That's not it. You saw it too, didn't you? She's the grateful knight who took the fall for all the dirty deeds the Emperor committed."
"She didn't deserve to die like that."
"Even though she set fire to the slums?"
"No, that's true, but— That's not what I ant—"
She had co to save him once.
He thought she was dead, but she appeared as if by magic, and just when he thought she was going to finish him off, she started dragging him out of there to escape.
Saying she was carrying out the mission she was entrusted with, not sparing her own life, desperately trying to escape from there with him.
"She was neither good nor evil......"
"No such person exists."
Beramund laughed at Arkana's words.
"I just... don't know. If there had been another way, if we had t differently—"
He shook his head as he spoke.
"No, it's already over."
"It's not over since we're going to turn back ti."
At Arkana's words, Beramund slowly unbuckled the gauntlet on his right hand. As he removed the gauntlet, an Aura Core as black as obsidian was revealed on the back of his hand.
"So you need my Aura Core too? For that power."
"Yes."
"Then what happens? Do both you and I go back to the past? How far?"
"We need to go back at least until before my sister died, so we'll go back at least 6 years."
"When Erial was still alive."
And Sigrid too.
It had been over a year since Sigrid was executed. Arkana sighed and said,
"But there's one problem with this."
"What is it?"
"We don't know who among the people involved in this magic will go back to the past. Whether it will be
or you, or even—"
Arkana glanced at the crimson core, and Beramund looked puzzled.
"But she... is dead, isn't she?"
"Yes, but she's alive in the past. To be honest, I'm not sure exactly how it will work out."
"So, leaving Sigrid out, you're saying only one of us two will go back?"
"Yes."
"Then save Erial and Serios."
Beramund said in a low voice, and Arkana nodded and continued.
"Please save my sister— Seria as well."
"Alright."
"Agreed."
They made a deal.
Whichever one of them went back would take care of the other's share as well.
Arkana led Beramund to another room. As he snapped his fingers, the room lit up brightly. Beramund swallowed.
The floor, walls, and ceiling of the room were filled with magic circles.
"This way."
Arkana said, standing in the center of the room, and Beramund stood next to him. Beramund asked a curious question.
"By the way."
"Yes?"
"If one of us goes back, what happens to the other person?"
"They'll die."
"Ah."
"No, since we're turning back ti, they won't die— but anyway, that's how it is."
"Well, that's fine."
It might be better to die than to live like this any longer.
As Arkana spread his palm, the crimson Aura Core floated into the air. Arkana began to whisper magic lowly, and the core started to glow brighter and brighter.
"—!"
Beramund winced as he felt pain from his own Aura Core. At the sa ti, his aura began to drain away like an ebbing tide. An intense feeling of emptiness washed over him.
As Arkana finished the final seal, the world was engulfed in light.
And Sigrid opened her eyes.
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Extra Story 1
Knock knock.
Sigrid raised her head at the sound of soone knocking on the door.
"Co in."
The one who quietly opened the door of the office and entered was Rivans. The middle-aged vassal wore an unusually troubled expression.
"A guest has arrived."
"A guest?"
Sigrid tilted her head.
"In this winter?"
Beramund also asked, perplexed. Arkana, inserting his pen back into its holder, said,
"A guest in the dead of winter, it seems they've brought unwelco news."
"What kind of guest?"
To Sigrid's question, Rivans slightly bowed his head and said,
"The guest said, 'How could you get married without telling ?' and 'Give
back my chastity.'"
At those words, Sigrid's mouth fell open, and everyone in the office unconsciously looked at Beramund. As Beramund was about to say sothing in bewildernt, Rivans added,
"It was a man."
"Eh?"
Everyone was taken aback. But no one looked at Sigrid. So were casting suspicious glances at Beramund. Feeling wronged, Beramund said,
"I don't touch n."
At those words, those who had been casting suspicious glances cleared their throats and averted their gaze. At that mont, the middle-aged vassal said coldly,
"It's Lord Beramund's guest."
Instantly, the office froze. Sigrid's eyes widened, and Arkana narrowed his. As Alex and Lilia were also at a loss, Beramund quickly asked,
"This guest, by any chance, is his hair—"
Before he could finish speaking, the office door burst open. Sigrid sprang up from her seat, and sohow Beramund was already standing in front of her.
"Beramund Lunatil~ Getting married without telling !"
Though it sounded like sothing a village girl might say, the one who said it looked like a vagrant. No, he could only be seen as a vagrant. Wearing layers of old coats due to the winter, his body looked like a bear, and his face couldn't even be seen due to his bushy beard and hair. The striking bluish color of his hair, close to azure, caught the eye.
Beramund growled, baring his teeth.
"I'm really going to kill you!"
Sigrid looked at Beramund in surprise. It was the first ti she had heard Beramund speak like this. Arkana asked,
"Do you know each other?"
"We've known each other for a lo~ng ti. We've shared body heat—"
Before the vagrant could finish speaking, Beramund shot out like an arrow and grabbed the other person's head.
"Ouch, ouch— Darling, you're being too rough."
"Seriously, just go die sowhere, will you?"
A violent teenage boy-like tone sprang from Beramund's mouth. Sigrid approached in surprise.
"Beramund?"
"Hello, Countess."
With his hair still gripped, the man nodded his head slightly and said,
"I can't even greet properly with darling holding
like this."
Beramund said in a low voice,
"Call
'darling' one more ti and I really won't let you off."
"Aw, co on—"
The man grumbled, and Beramund let go of his hand as if throwing him away. The man said, "My hair's all ssed up now," and smoothed his hair, but to Sigrid, it looked no different before or after. He bowed his tall fra and spoke with exaggerated, theatrical movents,
"How do you do, esteed Silver Knight? The renowned first female Master. Allow
to introduce myself—"
"Karsus Rian."
Beramund spat out.
Karsus raised his head in irritation.
"Can't you let
greet properly?"
"The wanderer Karsus Rian?"
Sigrid asked in surprise, and Karsus nodded.
"I do possess such a distinguished na."
"Why are you here?"
Beramund asked, and Karsus shrugged his shoulders and said,
"I heard you got married without telling , so I ca to see."
"You've seen now, right? Now get lost."
"Wait, I'm still a guest, you know? You've really gotten cold, darling."
At the word 'darling', Beramund threw a punch without warning, and Karsus dodged it with an "Eek." Beramund clicked his tongue and launched a second and third attack in succession. Sigrid, who had been watching their exchange blankly, said,
"Beramund, stop it."
"If you wish."
Beramund retracted his fist with a sigh. Karsus whistled.
"You're completely whipped. Have you really gone crazy, Beramund Lunatil?"
"You wouldn't understand."
Beramund shrugged his shoulders, and Karsus was silent at those words before answering.
"Right, I wouldn't understand."
Beramund let out a long sigh at that answer. Sigrid said,
"If Beramund says he doesn't want you here, I'll throw you out—"
Beramund shook his head. Sigrid nodded at his response and said.
Reviews
All reviews (0)